Toronto Boutique Allows Holiday Window Space to Be used for Serious Message

Walking around the city and checking out the beautiful Christmas displays that retailers have to offer has become a holiday tradition for many GTA shoppers. From the intricate displays at Hudson’s Bay to the stunning luxury-focused displays at Holt Renfrew, holiday window displays are some of the most important of the year.

This year, one boutique is taking a different approach this holiday season. Instead of using the space to generate in-store sales, Untitled & Co. (an independent boutique located in Toronto in Queen West neighbourhood) is using their window to bring attention to an important and serious issue, domestic violence against women.

This past Sunday was the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women in Canada, and the unfortunate anniversary of the Montreal Massacre, where 14 women at the École Polytechnique were murdered.

To mark and remember the date, advertising agency FCB used the window space at Untitled & Co. on behalf of the OAITH & Yellow Brick House, to bring awareness to the tragedy that is violence against women in Canada. The window space features a family of mannequins seated at a Christmas dinner table, a seemingly typical and peaceful situation. However, the mannequins are rigged electronically and every 12 seconds, the father mannequin raises his hand to the mother, causing mom and the kids to recoil in fear.

While the holiday season usually conjures up images of happiness and togetherness, it’s important to recognize that this is not the status quo for everyone. According to the Globe and Mail, incidents of domestic violence show a 30 per cent increase over the holiday season.

The display is not there to solely create awareness, there is a concerted effort to raise money to help the cause. When viewers see the display, there is a message telling the viewers that they can stop the violence in the window with a donation, prompting visitors to text “no more” to 45678, which automatically donates $5 to OAITH. The $5 donation stops the mannequin scene for 60 seconds.

This is an ingenious campaign by FCB and the Yellow Brick House, and hopefully will bring awareness to the fact that domestic violence is still a serious issue and affects Canadian family all across the country. If you wish to support the campaign head down to Untitled & Co and text “no more” to 45678. Every dollar helps women find safe shelter from violence.